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ibtm world in Barcelona has always been one of my favourite industry events of the year. And the 2016 edition will hold an extra special place in my orange heart as it was the last event I attended as Mr Holland. Needless to say that it was a bitter sweet visit to Barcelona this time around. I showed eventprofs from around the world that Holland Moves, we shared many fond memories and I had the most fantastic farewell I could have wished for. Let’s reminisce a bit, shall we?

Win a trip to Holland

I couldn’t attend my last industry event without giving away one final, amazing trip to Holland! Did we take a Holland Moves picture together? Then you have until Monday, December 12, 2016 (noon, CET) to tag, like and share our photo. The photo with the most likes wins the trip to Holland so you can experience first hand how Holland moves you! The prize includes:

Rendezvous at ibtm world 2016

What can I say other than Rendezvous surely was a night to remember! Thank you to each and everyone of you for celebrating a night of orange fun with Team Holland and myself. For me personally it was bitter-sweet, since Rendezvous also marked my very last performance as Mr Holland. As of now, I will go through life as The Artist Formerly Known as Mr Holland. But, we will always have the wonderful memories.

And by the way, all proceeds of the event will be invested in the MPI Foundation, which funds scholarships, grants and pan-industry research. What a better way for me to say goodbye to the events industry!

Team Holland takes over

One of my last duties as (The Artist Formerly Known As) Mr Holland was to officially pass on the Holland ambassador torch to my friends from Team Holland. And I did it the Dutch way, of course: by adding some (more) orange to each and every single one of them. Mission accomplished, don’t you think? 😉

The hardest godbye of them all – farewell Team Holland

We’ve known each other for a while now, so I feel I can be honest with you. In the events industry we see people come and go quite often. However, there was one farewell that hit me a bit harder than I was anticipating: saying goodbye to ‘my’ Team Holland.

ibtm world 2016’s Team Holland represented a much bigger Team Holland, of course. Throughout the years I had the pleasure of working together with so many inspiring and driven suppliers from the Duch meetings and events industry. And it wouldn’t do them justice not to give each and everyone of them a shoutout at this moment. You all know who you are!

The only consolation was that apparently I wasn’t the only one having a hard time letting go, quite literally 😉

But, alas, the moment had to come after all. So without further ado, here is one more immensely huge THANK YOU TEAM HOLLAND (yes, I capitalized that). And thank you for the memories. It’s been an honor representing you and our beautiful small country across the world.

Farewell Team Holland

Goodbye ibtm world, goodbye eventprofs

And at last, I couldn’t postpone the final goodbye anymore. After all, I had a plane to catch 😉 But it’s like they say: all good things must come to an end. And so my final walk out of the Grand Fira in Barcelona was a very symbolic one. Thank you ibtm world and thank you eventprofs from all over the world. I hope you agree with me when I say we’ve had an amazing 5 years together. So farewell, dear friends. Until we meet again – hopefully in Holland! 😉

In Holland we have a saying that freely translates into the following: you should leave when the going is good. And let me tell you, I do feel like the going is good right now. And still, or possibly that’s exactly why, my Dutch heart was very heavy when we announced that I will be stepping down as Holland ambassador by the end of the year:

Holland Moves – including myself!

Five years ago, the Netherlands Board of Tourism & Convention was looking for a new, unique and fun way to show the international meetings and conventions industry just how suitable our small country is for international events. And why! Somehow along the way our paths crossed at the right time and in the right moment and the rest has become history.

It has been an honor and a privilege to get international eventprofs around the world not only acquainted with but even more so excited about the destination Holland. Our diversity, approachability and openness. Our oustanding infrastructure and state-of-the-art meeting venues. Our approach to business, creativity and thinking in chances not in barriers. Our charisma, enthusiam and open mind. All that is what makes Holland move. That is also how Holland moves your meeting to the next level. And that is how Holland moves people. Including myself.

Moving on and looking back

I don’t want to look back on these past five years just yet though – we’ll keep the best for last. But being Mr Holland has been an extraordinary journey. And meeting all these amazing eventprofs at events like The Meetings Show UK, IMEX Frankfurt, IMEX America and IBTM World – just to name a few – most certainly has been the highlight.

At this moment in time my journey is taking me on a slightly different path though as I will follow my passion and embark on a world tour with my band. The time has come to move on. And in Holland we think that is a good thing.

Time to celebrate at Rendezvous!

But rest assured, you have not seen the last of me quite yet. Join Team Holland and myself at IBTM World in Barcelona this year where we will show you how Holland moves your meeting to the next level. It will be three days of meeting new and old friends, celebrating and yes, sadly, saying good-bye. And we would not be Holland if we did not have a very special treat in store: We teamed up with IBTM World and MPI Foundation to light up the night orange with you on Wednesday, November 30. Join us at Rendezvous where we will not only have an amazing time, but also do good: MPI Foundation will invest all proceeds into Europe’s meeting and event industry through scholarships, grants and research.

Holland Moves you – to Holland!

Did you hop on our skippy ball with me to show the world how Holland moves? Then you don’t want to miss your chance to win a fantastic 4-day trip for 2 to Holland. Because you know, Holland moves! And in this case we actually move you – to Holland. The prize includes:

For you chance to win, just head over to my Facebook page and find your picture in one of these photo albums: day 1 (Tuesday), day 2 (Wednesday) or day 3 (Thursday). Then follow these three easy steps:
1. tag yourself in our photo
2. like our photo
3. share our photo on your Facebook page to get even more likes

The photo with the most likes will win the trip to Holland. See, told you it was easy, didn’t I? But don’t wait too long, voting ends on October 31, 2016 at 12pm CET. The winner will be announced here and on all my Social Media channels shortly after voting ends.

IMEXrun on the Las Vegas strip

Do you know the expression ‘you snooze, you lose!’? Well, this certainly applies to day 2 of IMEX: snoozing means missing out on the IMEXrun. And trust me, the incentive of running on a closed off part of the Las Vegas strip and watching the sunrise with 800 event professionals from all over the world is worth the lack of sleep. The IMEXrun has become a beloved tradition at the IMEX trade shows in Las Vegas and Barcelona. This year, Team Holland officially and proudly supported the event. Here are some impressions from Team Holland keeping it moving – and bouncing – during the run:

Let’s keep it moving at IBTM World in Barcelona

Attending IMEX America is always a terrific experience for Team Holland and we can’t wait to be back next year. Did you miss us in Las Vegas this time? Not to worry. We will be at IBTM World in Barcelona from November 29 – December 1, 2016 to show you how Holland moves. And don’t forget to pre-order your tickets for Rendezvous, the not-to-miss industry event of the year in Barcelona. Until then, keep it moving!

If you are a regular IBTM World (or former EIBTM) attendee, you surely know that Wednesday night is reserved for one of the meeting industry’s greatest happenings. Some people may recall the event as IBTM World’s Club Night at Opium and some people may even remember the equally iconic Holland House Event. The latter was before my time unfortunately, but I have been told many tales surrounding the infamous Dutch party – some of which could surely be labeled as ‘what happens in Barcelona, stays in Barcelona’!

Club Night becomes Rendezvous

This year, NBTC Holland Marketing is proud to partner with IBTM World and Meetings Professional International (MPI) Foundation to launch Rendezvous at IBTM World 2016. Rendezvous is MPI Foundation’s signature networking and fundraising event and will see its inaugural IBTM World edition on Wednesday, November 30 at Opium in Barcelona. All proceeds of the event will be invested in the MPI Foundation, which funds scholarships, grants and pan-industry research. Can you imagine a better way to secure the future success of the meetings and events industry than by having an unforgettable orange party?

Let Holland move you all night long

This means that on November 30 the night will light orange in Barcelona. Team Holland is ready to move you all night long and it will be a night full of orange surprises. Trust me on this one! And of course I will be there as well. So what are you waiting for? Buy your Rendezvous ticket now for a night full of orange fun and dancing.

The Dutch are known to be open-minded and friendly. Creative and efficient. Innovative and business oriented. And I do have to admit that we take quite some pride in it.

However, and maybe most importantly, we are also passionate about sharing our experiences, knowledge and enthousiasm with the world. We like to stir up things and look for new opportunities. That’s probably why innovation thrives in our small country. We simply love to set people and businesses in motion. Let’s take a closer look at how exactly Holland moves you…

Holland Moves You – from A to B

Holland moves you from the North Sea beaches to the enchanting forests of the Veluwe. From the bustling heart of metropolitan cities like Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague to the serenity of hidden chateaus. From traditional landmarks to modern art & design festivals. Move through the vast heath or against the winds on our dykes.

Holland is not only a diverse, but also very compact country. So compact in fact, that we also call it Holland City. That’s what makes moving around so very easy in Holland. From North to South Holland is only 300km/186mi long. From West to East a mere 200km/124mi. From Amsterdam, every major city and every small village in Holland can be reached within three hours, thanks to our great transportation infrastructure. And did you know that besides being home to the world’s largest aviation hub, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, Holland has four more international airports? Pretty impressive for such a small country, isn’t it?

Holland Moves You – to the beat of your own drum

In Holland we appreciate uniqueness and thinking out of the box. In fact, being a melting pot with more than 190 nationalities is one of the key factors that makes the Dutch so open-minded. We appreciate how different personalities with different backgrounds and different views widen your horizon. But we also see the importance of staying true to yourself, your values and believes. The same applies to meetings. We realize that no meeting is the same and that there is no one-size-fits-all formula. New insights, developments, opportunities, innovations and technologies are around every corner and we are ready to seize them. And we just might throw in some Dutch wit, charm, and gezelligheid along the way. Because after all, we still like to march to the beat of our own drum.

And, speaking of beats. Holland is home to some of the finest DJs in the world. Tiësto, Afrojack, Junkie XL and Armin van Buren’s beats get people moving on dance floors all around the world. Even the Dutch Royal family:

Holland Moves You – to higher (meeting) levels

Holland may be small in size, but the Dutch are big in business opportunities. We thrive on building bridges and connecting the world. And we do it with an international outlook and a no-nonsense attitude. Holland is a superb incubator for innovation. Something that international investors have realized as well. Amsterdam / Rotterdam was recently named the 3rd attractive metropolitan region for FDI (foreign direct investment) according to IBM’s Global Location Trends report and the Dutch start-up scene is one of the most prominent in Europe. Ever heard of booking.com, TomTom or WeTransfer? All Dutch!

Let Holland move you – in the best ways possible!

Holland moves you on many levels! Personally and professionally. Emotionally and educationally. We spin you around and turn you upside down. We challenge you to move your feet, open your mind and question the status quo. In other words, Holland Moves You – in the best ways possible! So let’s meet in Holland and let’s move your meeting to the next level.

Holland Moves you – to Holland! Win a trip at IMEX America or IBTM World

In case you have never heard of the Dutch hotel chain Postillion Hotels before, I can promise you that this is going to change very soon. Not only because you are reading my blogpost as we speak, but because the chain is about to open its 8th location in the fall: the brand new and stunning Postillion Hotel Amsterdam. But before I’ll tell you more about this new kid on the block, let’s take a closer look at the ambitious Dutch company that is Postillion Hotels.

From Motoresto to Postillion Hotels

Postillion Hotels was established in the 1950s and underwent 4 name changes before establishing itself on the Dutch hotel market as Postillion Hotels. Like they say, fifth time’s the charm! The name Postillion derives from the stage coach that used to drive between Groningen in the North of Holland and Rotterdam in the South-West.

As a brand, Postillion Hotels is staying close to its Dutch roots. With full service, focus on hospitality and a no-nonsense-but-nothing-is-too-crazy attitude, Postillion Hotels established itself as a strong player on the Dutch hospitality market over the years. And now the brand is ready to enter the international meetings and conventions market at full force with that same refreshing attitude.

Meet Work Stay

What do you expect from a full-service business hotel? A professional environment to organize hassle-free meetings and events? Facilities to keep on working while you are away on a business trip? And how about a comfortable and hospitable environment that feels like a home away from home? That is exactly what Postillion Hotels offers their business guests with the ‘Meet Work Stay’ concept. Whatever you seek, Postillion Hotels aims to facilitate and even anticipate. There is only one catch though: you might not want to leave again!

In addition, all of Postillion Hotels’ venues are conveniently located close to major Dutch highways with plenty of parking spaces. A deliberate and smart choice to make each venue easily accessible from anywhere within the Netherlands.

Brain Food meets Green Key

The infamous after-meal-dip is a thing of the past with Postillion Hotels’ Brain Food. Together with a dietician Postillion Hotels developed a menu that is energizing the body and mind. How so? By providing an array of healthy homemade meals, snacks and energy boosts throughout the day. Brainfoods enhance concentration, provide healthy nutrients and reduce the after-meal-dip, leaving delegates on top of their (meeting) game all day long. Still craving that cookie or chocolate bar after all? I’m sure those are hiding somewhere as well!

Not that you need any more reasons to choose one of the soon-to-be-eight Postillion Hotels’ locations for your meeting or event, but just in case, here’s one more: every single hotel acquired the Golden Green Key certificate for their sustainability efforts.

Let’s take a closer look at a couple of Postillion Hotels’ main locations now though, shall we?

New kid on the block: Postillion Hotel Amsterdam

In September 2016, Postillion Hotels will open its newest member and quite possibly flagship venue: Postillion Hotel Amsterdam. Actually, September 2016 will see the opening of the hotel’s state-of-the-art conference centre, which can host up to 1,200 delegates. Ample parking space is also available and that in the middle of Amsterdam! How is that possible? The new Postillion Hotel Amsterdam is located on the site of Amsterdam’s former chewing ball factory!

Another advantage of choosing a former industrial factory site for a venue? Its superb (public) transportation infrastructure. The hotel is nestled between Amsterdam’s major highways and two train stations. The nearest subway station is a mere 3 minute walk. From here you can reach Amsterdam’s city centre in 10 minutes and RAI Amsterdam in 5 minutes.

artist impression

floor plan

artist impression

In the beginning of 2018, the adjacent hotel will open its doors with 256 bedrooms, a restaurant, fitness centre, parking garage and an additional 17 meeting rooms for up to 1,500 delegates. With that, Postillion Hotel Amsterdam will be the brand’s largest venue.

Sounds like Postillion Hotel Amsterdam is a meeting planner’s dream? That’s because it actually is. Or rather will be once fully opened.

A convention centre disguised as a state monument. That is Postillion Convention Centre WTC Rotterdam (WTC=World Trade Centre). But it’s not only the building’s striking architecture that is sure to impress delegates. The interior eradiates a certain allure that offers a unique back-drop for any type of meeting, convention, exhibition or event for up to 1,100 delegates. And on top of that, the convention centre is located in the beating heart of Rotterdam.

Besides the main conference hall, Postillion Convention Centre WTC Rotterdam offers 38 various break-out and meeting rooms. The exhibition space is 3,000m2/33,000ft2 large with 7m/23ft high ceilings. Most striking is about the building is that the characteristics of each space are unique, which provides endless possibilities for your event.

1,000 hotel rooms are within walking distance of Postillion Convention Centre WTC Rotterdam. And by the end of 2017, 120 new hotel rooms will be available on site.

If you are looking for a state-of-the-art convention hotel, then you may have found your match in Postillion Hotel Utrecht Bunnik. The venue previously earned the title of ‘Conference Venue of the Year’ due to its excellent facilities, location and sustainability approach.

Postillion Hotel Utrecht Bunnik’s 30 multi-functional meeting and event rooms offer space for up to 1,500 delegates in the heart of Holland. Amsterdam Schiphol is a mere 35 minute drive away and there are 450 parking spaces available on the premises.

Specifically trained employees are available throughout the duration of your event to ensure smooth operations on any level. And the hotel’s meeting hosts will make sure that your guests will feel extra well taken care of.

Feel free to contact Mr. Holland:

Your personal Holland Host | Netherlands Board of Tourism & Conventions (NBTC) | I’m here to help with all your questions about planning your meeting in Holland.
In Holland we like to do things just a little differently. We like to inspire. Refresh perspectives. To step off the beaten track. That’s why Holland is an ideal country for business events.
Holland may be small in size, but that also makes it a very compact country, offering more possibilities per square kilometre than you can find anywhere else in the world!
Please don’t hesitate to contact me with all your questions. My friends and colleagues of the Netherlands Board of Tourism and Conventions will help you to get the information you need. We will add some orange to your business events.